


A Game of Time

by Allerleirauh



Category: Fallen London | Echo Bazaar, Sapphire and Steel
Genre: Community: trope_bingo, Crossover, Gen, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-17
Updated: 2013-04-17
Packaged: 2017-12-08 18:51:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/764812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allerleirauh/pseuds/Allerleirauh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mr Stones adores shiny things. He believes that Sapphire and Silver would make lovely additions to his collection.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Game of Time

Pulling away the heavy, black veil, the clay man revealed the large dressing mirror, ornately framed and polished to perfection that had been hidden underneath. It was an elegant object, yet Sapphire had no eyes for its beauty. Instead her gaze was invariably drawn to its surface and the shocking reflection of Silver who had apparently been trapped behind it, his expression showing a look full of surprise and fear.

Whirling around, Sapphire confronted the Master standing in front of her. “What is the meaning of this?” she asked sharply.

“As the invitation said — a game.” The Master’s dry and high pitched voice replied.

***

The invitation had arrived in the form of an envelope, heavy white paper, and a black seal depicting many spires. It was from one of the Masters of the Bazaar. It had read, 'Come hither, and we shall play a game of time.'

Seeing it had stirred a whole wealth of memories: another dimension, the city of Fallen London, the Echo Bazaar. It had been aeons since Sapphire had been there. Such a long time ago that she hadn’t thought of it for what felt like a small eternity.

Now, however, the memories had returned with such a force, it had felt like a pair of floodgates having been opened to relieve a torrent of sounds and smells and images, filling her mind so quickly it was almost overwhelming.

Her decision to follow up on the invitation had been made immediately, the only moment of hesitation had been when she had discovered that neither Steel nor Silver were available to accompany her. Yet, it might even be for the best if she went alone she had thought. The streets of Fallen London held many dangers and sometimes her two colleagues both showed a rather unfortunate tendency of stumbling into those headfirst, as if they were somehow acting like moths around a flame.

***

“Your invitation mentioned a game of time,” Sapphire said. She watched closely as the Master slowly rose from the chair it had been sitting in.

“Yes,” it hissed. “One of the greatest games this is — the game of time. It is brother to the game of stars and sister to the game of fate.” The Master spoke from behind his desk of black coral and came towards her, its black cloak rustling like the finest silk.

Chancing another glance at Silver, Sapphire asked, “I believe I have a good idea what prize you offer me if I win, but what if I fail? What punishment will you exact?”

The Master’s answering smile, invisible as it was under the hood that had been pulled deeply down over the Master’s face, filled the whole room like a living presence. It was a frightening sensation.

“Such shiny beings you are, so aptly named — Sapphire and Silver. I collect shiny objects; I trade them, though I keep the most precious for myself,” the Master said.

So, at least two of her questions had been answered. It was clear she was dealing with Mr Stones. Obviously he has set his mind on not only capturing Silver but Sapphire, too. The thought angered her. “Tell me the rules of that game of yours,” she told him, and her voice made her name honour as it cut through the silence, shredding the still lingering smile of the master to pieces.

A clawed finger pointed to the desk behind and Sapphire saw the ghostly silhouette of the city lying beneath and around them taking miniature-form on the desk. “The city is our playing ground, its citizens our pawns, but it will be time itself that powers our moves,” Mr Stones answered.

Sapphire considered her options. The clay man standing beside the mirror, its large hammer casually swinging within its grasp, was a clear enough warning against any attempts to run. She looked at Silver again and discarded the idea of a break-out completely. She wouldn’t risk him coming to any harm if there was an alternative. After all, it was time that was one of her specialities. She might not own it, but she was an expert in borrowing and manipulating it.

If anyone stood a chance of winning this game it was most definitely her. A few swift steps took her to the Master’s desk, and sitting down behind it, she said, “Very well, let’s play!”

***

Hours passed, if such a description has any meaning in a game that’s very fabric was made out of time. The rules were brutal. Time was there to be stolen and deployed. It was a means to kill and to conquer, the ultimate goal being complete possession of the playing ground. It took her only a few moves and she was already despising this game with a passion. Yet, if the Master had calculated on a lack of ruthlessness on her part, it soon learned how gravely mistaken it had been in that estimate.

While her opponent was mainly motivated by his greed, his hunger to possess, Sapphire’s objective was even more powerful. She would do almost anything to protect Silver and to defend both their freedom.

The Master had miscalculated, extrapolating her behaviour from the last time she had been here in this city. Back then she had been different, far more tolerant and far less experienced. She also had far less to lose.

Nonetheless her powers turned out to be almost insufficient for the task. She almost despaired, and she was probably even more surprised than the Master when she made her last move and victory was hers.

“You have won,” Mr Stones said when a lengthy silence had settled between them. The Master’s voice was full of disbelief.

“Of course, I have,” she replied. Aiming for as much arrogance as she could muster, she continued as she slowly rose to her feet, “I sincerely hope this will be a lesson to you! Don’t you ever dare challenging me again or those who are mine, because next time I might not be so lenient!”

She watched as the Master rose, too, giving her the tiniest nod of acknowledgement, before it moved away from the desk and over to the mirror. For a moment the soft clicking of its clawed feet was the only sound in the room.

It took no more than a hand softly brushing over the mirror’s surface and Silver was there with them — a Silver that was utterly befuddled and still charming in his confusion, a Silver that gave the Master only a wary look before coming towards her. She saw a thousand questions in his eyes and silenced him with a smile and a softly voiced ‘later’.

Turning towards the Master, she said, “I expect we won’t meet again.” Taking hold of Silver’s hand she pulled him close, so that she could discreetly lean on him on their way out. Today she might have proven to herself and to everyone else that she was indisputably a true Mistress of Time, though at the moment she was a rather exhausted one. Luckily she had Silver and his strength to draw upon, and by the smile he was giving her he was more than happy to oblige.


End file.
